Questions:

1. Sand painting is also called what? 2. Tibetan Buddhist sand paintings are usually composed of what? 3. The word mandala in Sanskrit means what? 4. A mandala is a cosmic diagram that represents what? 5. Tibetan symbolism consists primarily of what? 6. What is considered the key to the mandala? 7. Squares represent what? 8. Triangles stand for what? 9. What will you usually see in the center of the mandala? 10. To create a Tibetan mandala is to evoke what? 11. The colored sands are poured from traditional metal funnels called what? 12. Besides sand, what else can a mandala be constructed from? 13. A mandala can take days, weeks, months and sometimes even years to complete; so why is it destroyed shortly after its completion?

Answers:

(no peeking!)

1. Sand painting is also called what? It is also referred to as drypainting. 2. Tibetan Buddhist sand paintings are usually composed of what? Mandalas. In Tibetan, it is called dul-tson-kyil-khor meaning mandala of colored powders. 3. The word mandala in Sanskrit means what? Circle. 4. A mandala is a cosmic diagram that represents what? The dwelling place or celestial mansion of a deity. Both the deity who reside in the mandala and the mandala itself are recognized as pure expressions of Buddha’s fully enlightened mind. 5. Tibetan symbolism consists primarily of what? Circles, squares and triangles. 6. What is considered the key to the mandala? The circle is the key for it represents the unity of all existence and the unbounded chaos of heaven. 7. Squares represent what? The order of the four directions and the boundaries of human life on earth. 8. Triangles stand for what? The trinity beyond duality. 9. What will you usually see in the center of the mandala? The center of the mandala is almost always a circle. Numerous circles within the mandala depict a multitude of centers existing simultaneously on many levels. 10. To create a Tibetan mandala is to evoke what? The “structuring principle” that brings cosmic elements into alignment and gives them form. Deities or sacred ancestral energies are understood to exist in the forms of these traditional designs while rendering the designs brings them to life. Creating a mandala is considered a sacred ceremony of great power. 11. The colored sands are poured from traditional metal funnels called what? Chak-pur. Each monk holds a chak-pur in one hand while running a metal rod on its serrated surface; the vibration causes the sands to flow like liquid. 12. Besides sand, what else can a mandala be constructed from? A mandala can be constructed from wood, precious jewels, rice or flowers. 13. A mandala can take days, weeks, months and sometimes even years to complete; so why is it destroyed shortly after its completion? Destruction is done as a teaching tool and metaphor for the impermanence of all things.